Quick Step

When elephants come purposefully out of a very dry area, they are obviously looking and heading for water. As they get closer to the water source, they become more and more enthusiastic, sometimes even getting into a bit of a gallup. This piece was initially inspired by that kind of motivation from this group.

I never get tired of painting elephants. Being around them, seeing them in different locations, how they operate in their environments, how they operate together and with different animals, just their presence is great.

Looking at this painting, you forget that these massive, imposing animals and their environments are fragile and under threat. The background is a bit smokey or smoggy, often caused by fires in the dry winter seasons. Sometimes the smog is as a result of encroaching urbanisation. You may go to some very big parks in Africa and see cities in the background, encroaching on these wild areas. You don’t often see this when you look at wildlife painting or photography – how fragile these wilderness areas are today.